Goolge Chrome HTTPS Updates

Google has been integrating updates to the Chrome browser to identify all HTTP websites as Not Secure.  This is to urge site owners to update to an HTTPS certificate.

HTTPS is a encryption that adds a layer of security to the transmitting data through an SSL (secure socket layer) to the connection between the user and the website.   Does this make every website safe? Nope, but it is a good step to help push for a more default layer of security for the end users.  And an HTTP site labeled with the non-secure warning does not mean you or the site has been hacked. 
So far Chrome is the only browser that is highlighting the non-secured websites, but I believe we will be seeing browsers such as FireFox follow as well. 
Chrome future updates will increase it warnings for HTTP sites.  According to c/net Chrome 69 will have a less noticeable HTTPS secure label in black.  Chrome 70  will have a more aggressive warning to HTTP sites with a more noticeable not-secure warning in red.  
Even if you think your site has no need for HTTPS,  not updating is going to affect your SEO(search engine ranking).  Anything you can do to help boost your SEO never hurts.  With Chrome being one of the most widely used browsers and Google being the leading search engine out there, it is always best to try to follow their standards as much as possible. Even if you don't like Chrome or personally don't utilize the browser, as a small business you have to look at it from the consumer side.  The majority of the traffic is coming from Google.
Just updating from HTTP to HTTPS certificate may not be enough, you may have HTTP links within the code of your website that will cause an issue as well. 
​Read more about what else you may need to do here.

At RBA all of our hosting now has an SSL certificate standard, making all of our clients that host with us an HTTPS site, even it a simple landing page.  
Contact Us to learn more about how we can help you with your web needs. 

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